Looking For Swamp Guidance

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Have you started vacuuming yet? The filter will catch what debris come through the skimmer, but a lot of the debris will settle to the bottom. Add vacuuming to your regimen, keep adding chlorine, and keep the filter running. Vacuuming will get what is sitting on the bottom and it will also stir up the water so the filter can catch more debris. Do not be surprised it the pool looks worse after vacuuming the first couple of times.
 
Everything points at a filter problem right now. If you add DE and it doesn't come out when you backwash, where is it going? Either it is stuck inside the filter or it is going into the pool. Given the pool water is cloudy, it probably isn't very easy to see if there is lots of DE in the pool, so the next step is opening up the filter.

If the filter is full of DE, you need to figure out why the DE isn't backwashing out. The most likely cause would be huge amounts of DE solidified inside the filter, which all needs to be removed and cleaned up.

If the filter is clean and free of any significant amount of DE then you probably have a torn grid, though the manifold could be broken or the filter not put back together correctly. Whatever it is will need to be fixed before the filter will filter properly.
 
It appears that the DE is getting sprayed out of the returns instead of staying in the filter. When I opened the filter up it had very little DE stuck to it and this would explain the white dust in the pool. I cleaned it off and added the 15lbs of DE and then started vacuuming. Sure enough I could see it spraying out of the returns.

The filter only connected in one spot so I'm sure I put it back together properly. The filter is now running at 10psi so I'm thinking not much of the DE is sticking in there. I brushed the pool hoping to stir up the pool and get it back in there. I'm sort of lost at this point. Good news, I think all the algae is gone.
 
Something inside the filter is broken, most likely a tear in the grid fabric. You should carefully examine each of the grids to see if you can find a tear. Also examine the manifold that the grids connect to to see if there are any cracks.
 
I just went to check the filter again and was having trouble getting it out of the tank. I forgot to let all the water drain out of the tank before I opened it and it is either creating some sort of strange suction or its sitting wrong and is stuck. Whichever the case the filter isn't working right at all now so I will have to fix it once the sun comes back up.

All the DE is building up at the top of the grids where the water exits the manifold. The water is very clear now that all the DE in the pool is settled; I think the pool will be ready to open once I figure out what I did to the filter as it seemed to be working fine up until this point. I hope not running filter tonight won't disrupt my progress, the FC is seeming stable now :-? Thanks again.
 
Ok so I checked out my grids and the manifold and everything seems to be in good shape; no visible tears in grids and the manifold seems ok. There is lots of DE at the bottom of the tank, not very much on the grids though, the only bit ton them is at the top where the water seems to come out of the manifold. I put the filter back in and am still getting no PSI. The pump is running but in the skimmer there is no suction and obviously no flow out of the returns. I don't the tank, containing the filter, is filling with water either as opening it to backwash after only lets out a minimal amount of water. My best guess is I vacuumed up something that's clogging the system?

The water is perfectly clear in the shallow half of the pool and I can see a layer of DE and a few leaves on the bottom.

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Ok, a couple of things to check, first I assume you have been cleaning out the strainer going into the pump, check the seal around the edge for breaks or rough spots, if he strainer cover does not seal the pump will not prime. Do you have a strainer basket in the skimmer, you should, if not you may have a clog in the inlet pipe going to the pump.

Ike
 
I did clean my strainer going into the pump and it appears to be on tightly. I rubbed a tiny bit of marine grease around the gasket after you said to check it to make sure I am getting a good seal. I do have a strainer basket in my skimmer and after some advice from friend of a friend I used a drain flusher on the inlet pipe to see if there was a clog; there doesn't seem to be a clog, the water starts bubbling when I use the flusher on the inlet.

There does seem to be an air leak that I noticed when I turned off the filter and it shot out a few small squirts of water and then bled out som air.

I don't know where else there could be a leak, I just replaced the o-ring around the filter tank and put on a generous amount of marine grease. I've turned the filter pump on after trying a few things (namely the flusher) and sometimes it bubbles out the returns, sometimes it doesn't. I've left it on for as long as an hour and still no pressure buildup; I don't want to leave it on now as I'm scared it will make things worse until I can figure out what is going on. :cry:

I'll try to get that tube replaced in the morning, though I'm not exactly sure what that hose even is!

Sorry this thread has gone on so long, it seems like everything is going wrong. I'm still trying to stay positive though and the pool water is basically clear.

Leak location on small tubing:
Big Version or http://i.imgur.com/V6JSD.jpg
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Either the pump is not sucking or something is blocking the return, try momentarily repositioning your valve to the waste/backwash position and see if you get good flow, if you do you either have a problem with the filter being clogged or the return line being clogged. If not you probably have a problem on the suction side or possibly something inside the pump (impeller broken, etc) it is old.
 

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I see a small broken hose on the return pipe marked in the picture. I suspect that there is also another small broken hose on the suction pipe below it. If so, that is a place air could be getting in. If there is just the right amount of air is getting into the suction side the pump might not pump very well and yet might not completely lose suction, which I believe would account for everything described recently.

Don't worry about asking lots of questions. :goodjob: That is what we are here for!
 
Is the cover on your pump basket made of clear plastic? I can tell it's really dirty but I can't tell if it is supposed to be clear. If it is clean it off as best you can and see if you see water moving in the pump. Also try unscrewing the return fitting and taking the eyeball out. Feel around and see if there is any DE stuck in the return. If you have the pump back together try running it without the return fitting and see if anything blows out the return line.
 
JasonLion said:
I see a small broken hose on the return pipe marked in the picture. I suspect that there is also another small broken hose on the suction pipe below it. If so, that is a place air could be getting in. If there is just the right amount of air is getting into the suction side the pump might not pump very well and yet might not completely lose suction, which I believe would account for everything described recently.

Don't worry about asking lots of questions. :goodjob: That is what we are here for!
Click to expand...

What the heck is that hose for? I had to get a good angle on the monitor to see it well, but it looks like one hose connected to both pipes. Couldn't he get a couple of plugs from the hardware store for those opening and see if that helps?
 
zea3 said:
What the heck is that hose for? I had to get a good angle on the monitor to see it well, but it looks like one hose connected to both pipes. Couldn't he get a couple of plugs from the hardware store for those opening and see if that helps?
Click to expand...
When an out of line tablet chlorinator is removed it is conventional to put a short section of tubing between the two taps that it used to use so they won't leak.

Plugging the holes is often tricky because they have been drilled into the walls of the pipe and won't survive very may attempts to connect and disconnect things. Looping some tubing is easy and reliable (for the most part, obviously it failed here).
 
Zea3 sorry for the crappy pic of the hose, I'll get a better one of it so you can actually see.

I replaced the hosing with clear vinyl hose so I can see the water flowing. I ran into a problem finding the rubber gasket that goes between the motor and the pump housing. When I pulled the motor off the gasket was in shambles, basically falling apart. I tried to make my own but I ran out of sunlight and couldn't get the bolts to grab the threads. Guess I'll wait until tomorrow! Could I try and use the old gasket and just put lots of silicon around it? The pool store suggested getting one made at a rubber company in town.

My next plan of attack is to get this motor on (after I figure out the gasket situation) and try it with the new hosing. If that doesn't work I was going to try and push water through both ends of the filter (after opening it up) with the hydraulic flusher. Any other ideas or suggestions?
 
Go to an ACE hardware and look for gasket material. They should have small sheets of rubber in the plumbing section you can use to form a new gasket. An auto parts store would also be a good place to try for gasket material. Measure the dimensions or take the old gasket with you so you can find a large enough piece.
 
zea3 said:
Is the cover on your pump basket made of clear plastic? I can tell it's really dirty but I can't tell if it is supposed to be clear.
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It is very dirty (mostly from age) but it isn't clear. Heres a pic inside while it's dry though :)

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Well the adventure continued today :roll: ! I attempted to make a gasket from auto gasket material and it just didn't work. So I wen't to Delta Rubber and they cut me a circle that ended up working quite well! They also said to not put silicone around it like the previous one had to make a better seal.

Old gasket and new piece of rubber before I cut bolt holes:
Ce1Kx.jpg


After I got the motor attached again I turned on the filter and still didn't get any pressure, but instead noticed another air leak coming from the large hose in the ground that connects to the booster pump motor. I replaced this large hose with a water heater hose.

Sorry for the bad pic, but here is the 3/4" broken hose I noticed:
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I replaced the small 1/4" hose between the two taps but it ended up breaking off at one of the nipples. On a whim I decided to switch on the filter while I plugged the broken nipple and end of the hose with my finger. Lo and behold heard water flowing and pressure building! I held on for a while and saw that everything began to function like normal. I finally knew all I had to do was deal with these two holes in the taps. :whoot:

Based on JasonLions knowledge and many failed attempts to rig up another tubing method between the holes I decided to use fiberglass pipe repair kits on the two holes. Hopefully this will last while I live in this house, if not I will end up having to replace the entire PVC line! Anyone used these before and do you think they will hold?

So assuming nothing else breaks while the fiberglass is drying I have one last problem to deal with: around 10-12lbs of DE on the bottom of my perfectly clear (and stable!) pool floor. Should I just brush the pool and let it filter out or vacuum it up? Either way I know I'm going to have to do some backwashing or the filter will have nearly double the amount of DE!

Thanks for hanging in there with me, I felt like giving up for a minute!
 
Everything was running and the fiberglass seems rock solid. I began vacuuming, the pressure was around 10psi, and after a while lost pressure completely. There didn't seem to be anything clog worthy, just small leaves and DE on the bottom. I blew out the line with the flusher and then the pump started working but only at around 5psi, normally it runs at 20psi. I also noticed while I was vacuuming that DE was shooting out of the returns and now that the filter is sort of running there is small debris coming out of them as well.

All signs pointing to a ripped filter grid? I examined it previously and didn't find a tear, maybe I didn't look hard enough??

Also a seperate issue: everything is back together but when the booster gets turned on no water is blowing out of the return that it usually blows out at (where the old Polaris 280 I had was attached). It bubbles for a bit and then just nothing.
 
You mentioned a broken hose on the booster pump before. If the booster pump hose from after the main pump to the booster pump is broken that could account for the loss of pressure and the booster pump problem. Otherwise it is time to open up the filter again and have a look around.
 

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